| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
23 Jun 2003 : Column 614W—continued
Telecommunications Masts
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he will take to introduce new legislation in respect of telecommunications masts to implement the recommendations contained in the Stewart Report of May 2000; and if he will make a statement. [120154]
23 Jun 2003 : Column 615W
Angela Smith: Following the publication of the Stewart Report, the Department of the Environment issued a consultation paper in November 2000 on planning control for telecommunications development.
In response to the consultation, the Department for Environment is following the precautionary approach in line with the recommendations contained in the Stewart Report, and the Department's new policy for telecommunications development is set out in Planning Policy Statement 10, which was published in April 2002.
As regards the legislative changes, a Statutory Rule, which came into operation in June 2002, removed certain permitted development planning rights from telecommunications code system operators. The effect of this change was to subject development proposals for mobile phone masts and antenna to the full rigour of the normal planning process. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that has fully implemented this recommendation. The much stricter ICNIRP public exposure guidelines have now also been adopted throughout the UK.
In view of this approach there are no plans at present to introduce further new legislation in respect of telecommunications masts.
The Department is closely monitoring ongoing research in conjunction with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and will of course review planning controls and the advice contained in PPS 10 should this prove necessary.
Urban II Initiative
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress on the Urban II Initiative for North Belfast. [119049]
Mr. Spellar: The Urban II Programme is a European Union Community Initiative totalling £10.6 million which aims to target social and economic deprivation in inner North Belfast.
The programme has three priorities and a number of measures under each priority. Priorities 1 and 2 are for applications from groups. Priority 3 is solely for programme support costs. With the exception of Measure 1.1 all the programme measures have been opened for applications.
This measure is still under development.
Measure 1.2 Physical Opportunity
A total of 35 applications have been received under this measure.
Measure 1.3 Environmental Improvement
A total of seven applications have been received and these are currently being assessed.
Victoria Square (Redevelopment)
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice from DoE conservation and heritage officials was conveyed to the Northern
23 Jun 2003 : Column 616W
Ireland Environment Minister prior to her decisions to approve the Victoria Square retail scheme and permit the demolition of the Kitchen Bar. [120646]
Angela Smith: I was comprehensively briefed on all of the conservation and heritage aspects of this proposed retail scheme prior to making my decisions.
In assessing the proposal, I concluded that the regeneration benefits to the City Centre, in line with the Regional Development Strategy and the Belfast Urban Area Plan, outweighed the loss of the Kitchen Bar and other buildings in the Conservation Area, and that, on balance, the regenerative benefits to the City Centre outweighed the losses to the built heritage.
Regeneration of the City Centre through investment will, by breathing life into areas in decline, provide a firmer foundation for revitalising and securing the future of the City Centre's built heritage.
PRIME MINISTER
Government Reshuffles
Mr. Allen: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to make a statement to the House on Cabinet reshuffles no later than when he informs the press of them. [119976]
The Prime Minister: I act in accordance with the way previous Prime Ministers have conducted their reshuffles.
Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Environment
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister which Minister will chair the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Environment. [120792]
The Prime Minister: Following the Cabinet Reshuffle, I am reviewing the composition and chairmanship of Cabinet Committees, and details will be available in due course. However in this case I can confirm that it will be the Minister of State (Environment and Agri-environment), Elliot Morley.
Gender Reassignation
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Prime Minister which Government department is responsible for issues involving gender reassignation. [120584]
The Prime Minister: The Department for Constitutional Affairs has policy responsibility for gender reassignation.
IAEA Inspectors
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the reasons underlying his support for the G8 summit declaration calling for the return of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to North Korea and Iran to carry out verification of nuclear sites and activities. [120794]
The Prime Minister: It has always been, and continues to be, the policy of this Government to seek to resolve issues of this nature through dialogue. The first step in establishing a dialogue with North Korea and Iran on
23 Jun 2003 : Column 617W
their nuclear programmes must be through encouraging them to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspection of all of their facilities and programmes.
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the reasons why he has opposed the return of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to Iraq to carry out verification of nuclear sites and activities. [120795]
The Prime Minister: The United Kingdom has not opposed the return of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to Iraq. The UK played a leading role in drafting UN Security Council Resolution 1483 which specifically tasks the Security Council to review the mandates of both the IAEA and UNMOVIC inspection organisations. This work will be undertaken in due course by the Security Council.
India/Pakistan (Nuclear Weapons)
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what matters in respect of nuclear weapons were discussed in his meeting with India's Deputy Prime Minister Advani on 16 June; and whether he pressed for India to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; [120784]
- (2) what matters in respect of nuclear weapons were discussed in his meeting with President Musharraf of Pakistan on 17 June; and whether he pressed for Pakistan to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. [120785]
The Prime Minister: I discussed with President Musharraf the issue of WMD proliferation.
Although I did not raise this issue on this occasion with Deputy Prime Minister Avani, both the Indian and Pakistani Governments are aware of our continuing support for UN Security Council Resolution 1172 which calls upon both countries to accede to both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty immediately and without conditions. We regularly press both countries to abide by all the obligations placed upon them by this Resolution.
Intelligence
Gregory Barker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 10 June, Official Report, column 717W, on intelligence, if he will set up a leak inquiry to determine the source of the leaks relating to the Iraq dossier. [119368]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to my previous answer.
Iraq
Mr. Allen: To ask the Prime Minister when he first received a request from the US administration for military assistance in a war against Iraq. [120447]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence gave in the House on 25 November 2002, Official Report, column 126.
23 Jun 2003 : Column 618W
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister whether apprehended former Iraqi Government (a) ministers and (b) officials are being held (i) under British custody and (ii) by the United States at Guantanamo Bay. [120797]
The Prime Minister: Iraqi prisoners of war are being held in Iraq under the custody of the Coalition. All prisoners of war are being treated in accordance with international law.
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister who the members are of the newly formed Iraq Survey Group; what the relevant experience is of each member; to whom the group will be responsible; and whether honourable Members will have the opportunity to examine the reports produced by the survey group. [120796]
The Prime Minister: The Iraq Survey Group (ISG) is a joint US, UK and Australian operation comprising around 1,400 people. The ISG is commanded by Major General Keith Dayton (US), with Brigadier John Deverell (UK) as his deputy. The Group's first priority is the search for, and elimination, of Weapons of Mass Destruction, but, in addition, will collect information relating to terrorism, war crimes, prisoners of war and other material relating to suspect activities of the former regime.
The Group is able to draw on personnel from a range of UK, US and Australian military and civilian organisations, and will include former UNSCOM inspectors.
As I have already made clear we are going to assemble evidence of Iraq's WMD and present it properly to people at the appropriate time.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |